This invention relates to cleansing compositions and their methods of application. In particular, it relates to a method for cleansing dental appliances, such as artificial dentures. The cleansing composition consists essentially of dilute aqueous solution of one carboxylic acid, such as acetic, succinic, maleic, citric, mandalic and lactic acids. In general, these acids have the structure R(Z)COOH or its anhydride, where "R" is a hydrocarbon chain and "Z" is a radical comprising a halogen, a hydroxy, a carboxy or aryl radical.
According to the present invention, I found out surprisingly that after soaking the dental appliance in a simple aqueous acidic solution overnight, and washing with warm water the next morning, the said dental appliance is clean, free from any oral deposits. In some cases, the use of a brush when washing with water enhances the cleansing effect. What is really surprising is that the dental appliance could not be cleaned when some of the commercial cleansing products such as "Polident" are used. What is more surprising is the fact that after several months of weekly treatment, the dental appliance remains free of deposits for long periods and the cleansing period is required only every half month or even at longer intervals.
An applausable explanation is that the acid bonds to the surface and forms a thin invisible film on the surface of the dental appliance, thus protecting it from the tartar deposits.